SPUG:Term::ReadKey on Windows 2000

[David Innes (CSG)]

For my part I've heard that Perl runs on Unix but I've never gotten it to
work.  So I don't use Unix.  I agree 100% that Unix-centric and
compiler-dependent Perl modules are generally a crock (as would be Win, Mac,
or PDP-11-centric modules unless they were clearly labeled as incomplete,
inadequate, or otherwise portability-impared.  Anyway it seems silly to
ignore 300,000,000 or so Windows client boxes.)

Given all that I've always used the ActiveState distribution and for the
most part grab modules from their modified (and incomplete) repository.
This has its own set of annoyances but (since I'm going to work and not to
church) they've got class enough not to claim unbelievers are going to Hell
for not using Windows.

But I digress...

Years ago I deployed a WinNT/W2K script that used ReadKey and that part
worked fine.  (On the other hand to get the script to work I had to write my
own miserable hack of the sleep function because no one, in their infinite
wisdom, feels the need to write a portable version.  But again I digress.)

Anyway, TermReadKey.ppd is ActiveState's distribution hints file for the
Term::ReadKey module.  ReadKey.dll is part of that distribution.  Here's
what else gets installed, and in what folders. 

H:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Term\ReadKey\ReadKey.bs
H:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Term\ReadKey\ReadKey.dll
H:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Term\ReadKey\ReadKey.exp
H:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Term\ReadKey\ReadKey.lib
H:\Perl\site\lib\Term\ReadKey.pm
H:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Term\ReadKey\autosplit.ix

As a mere Perl programmer and not a "real" programmer I have no idea how to
compile the thing from scratch.  (Note: I'm only rarely sorry I'm "only" a
Perl programmer.  Speaking of which, did you see Jon Udell's column on that
very thing in InfoWorld?
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/06/06stratdev_1.html)  

		-- David Innes

-----Original Message-----
From: spug-list-admin at mail.pm.org [mailto:spug-list-admin at mail.pm.org] On
Behalf Of Michael R. Wolf
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 11:28 PM
To: spug-list at pm.org
Subject: SPUG:Term::ReadKey on Windows 2000


Has anyone gotten Term::ReadKey to install on a windows box?  I've
seen reference to a TermReadKey.ppd and ReadKey.dll, but I havn't
found how to make them work.  Have you?  

Does anyone know why such an important module (to cpan.bat, at least)
doesn't install easily on Windows machines?

Thanks,
Michael Wolf

P.S.  These Unix-centric and compiler-dependent Perl modules are
starting to really affect my productivity (i.e. tick me off and
prevent my progress) on a Windows machine.  I'll post more about this
later.  In general, however, is there anyone out there who's as happy
with Perl on Windows as they are with Perl on Unix?  (BTW - This is
*not* the same question as "are you as happy with Windows as you are
with Unix").

-- 
Michael R. Wolf
    All mammals learn by playing!
        MichaelRunningWolf at att.net

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